Safety first

WITH the hustle and bustle of the holidays; new toys, lots of visitors going in and out of your home, and the overall busyness of the season, keeping your children safe can be an afterthought. But even with the many distractions, you have to ensure that you lower the risk of injury to your little ones. Here are a few tips for keeping the children safe as you start a new year.

Keep an eye on them

Chances are, during this period you will be out a lot — from shopping to public gatherings and family festivities. So to protect your children from looming danger it is important that you make sure that you are actively supervising them, or that a trusted adult is. You never want to assume that because you are in a room filled with adult family and friends that your child is completely safe or that someone is watching them, because that might not be the case.

Check all electrical items

You will need to check all new electrical products and accessories such as toys, appliances and the like, just in case any of them is cracked or broken. For toys, check them from time to time just in case there is an issue with connections or if wires become loose or broken. You also want to make sure with all the extra lights and electrical equipment that you may be using that you do not overload your circuits.

Toy safety

When purchasing toys, make sure that you choose those that are age-appropriate. This is crucial. For example, toys with easily accessible batteries or button batteries should not be gifted to toddlers since they still like to put things in their mouths, noses and ears. Other things to check for include toys with small detachable parts that may be a choke hazard. Also, make sure that you are always up-to-date with recall dates on toys. You want to make sure that if a toy has been identified as being potentially dangerous that you are aware of this so that you don’t expose your children unknowingly.

Kitchen safety

Keep your child away from the kitchen area. You want to ensure that you do this all year round, but at this time, with all the distractions from more people cooking and eating, children tend to be at greater risk for injury. So consider investing in a safety gate and ensure that your children are always properly supervised. Also, make sure that alcoholic beverages and other adult drinks are kept out of the reach of children at all times.

General safety

1. You should invest in a smoke alarm and when you do, make sure that you replace the batteries as per directions to ensure full functionality.

2. Keep a first aid kit close by to deal with small injuries.

3. Make sure that your children use a car seat that is safely installed, and ensure that older children always buckle up even if you are going for a short ride.